Fundsters looking to distribute mid-cap mutual funds through 401(k)
plans may want to take a look at BrightScope's latest list.
Today the San Diego-based retirement plan data specialists unveiled
its ranking of the top 15 mid-cap funds (by assets) in the 50,000-
plus 401(k) plans BrightScope tracks. Seven of those funds (nearly
half) belong to giant fund firms that can distribute through their
own 401(k) recordkeeping platforms: Fidelity [see
profile], T. Rowe Price [see
profile] and Vanguard [see
profile].

"Mid-cap funds often receive little attention from plan sponsors when
reviewing their retirement plan's investment menu with consultants
and advisors," stated Mike Alfred, co-founder and CEO of
BrightScope. "Despite a general perception that mid-cap funds may
have peaked in terms of distribution in retirement plans,
opportunisitic investment managers are still pursuing new mandates in
this asset class as vigorously as ever."

SAN DIEGO, CA--(October 04, 2011) - BrightScope
(www.brightscope.com), a leading provider of independent financial
information and investment research, today announced the Top 15 Mid-
Cap Funds in the defined contribution industry. This list is one in a
series of rankings BrightScope will regularly publish to provide
investment managers, mutual fund companies, investors, and others
with more insight into the top funds and managers in the retirement
marketplace. The proliferation of this critical information will
dramatically increase the efficiency of the marketplace and lead to
lower cost plans and better outcomes for the 60 million Americans who
depend on their 401k plan for retirement.

"Mid-cap funds often receive little attention from plan sponsors when
reviewing their retirement plan's investment menu with consultants
and advisors," said Mike Alfred, co-founder and CEO of BrightScope.
"Despite a general perception that mid-cap funds may have peaked in
terms of distribution in retirement plans, opportunistic investment
managers are still pursuing new mandates in this asset class as
vigorously as ever."

Since its infancy, the 401k marketplace has suffered from a lack of
quality data that is comprehensive enough to be useful for most
strategic functions. Historically, it has been virtually impossible
to determine a specific mutual fund's total distribution in 401k
plans. BrightScope's revolutionary database includes a detailed
investment menu on more than 50,000 plans, representing nearly 90
percent of all the assets in 401ks. With this dataset, BrightScope is
able to provide detailed analysis of total fund distributions.

The Top 15 Mid-Cap Funds by total distribution include:

1. Fidelity Low-Priced Stock

2. T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth

3. Vanguard Mid Capitalization Index

4. Columbia Acorn

5. Vanguard Extended Market Index

6. Fidelity Mid-Cap Stock

7. Artisan Mid Cap

8. Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value

9. SSgA S&P Mid Cap 400 Index

10. BlackRock Extended Equity Market Index

11. Fidelity Value

12. Perkins Mid Cap Value

13. Baron Growth

14. T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Value

15. Rainier Small/Mid Cap Equity

BrightScope's technology uncovers audited financial data on
investment funds held within real 401k plans. The BrightScope
database is superior to the industry's traditional survey-based
approach. When surveys are done, they usually capture no more than 10
percent of total distribution and skew heavily towards funds
prominent in the survey company's client base. Through BrightScope
Beacon, investment managers can access comprehensive data, giving
them a transparent view into their own fund distribution, as well as
the distribution of their competitors.

For more information, please visit www.brightscope.com.

About BrightScope

BrightScope is a financial information company that brings
transparency to opaque markets through independent research and
analysis. Delivered through web-based software, BrightScope data
drives better decision-making for individual investors, corporate
plan sponsors, asset managers, broker-dealers, and financial
advisors. The BrightScope Rating™, developed in partnership with
leading independent 401k fiduciaries, reviews more than 200 unique
data inputs per plan and calculates a single numerical score which
defines plan quality at the company level. In April 2011, the company
launched BrightScope Advisor Pages™, the first comprehensive and
publicly available directory of financial advisors designed to help
consumers discover information and conduct due diligence on wealth
management professionals. BrightScope also markets a suite of data
analytics software products to Fortune 1000 companies, asset
managers, broker-dealers, financial advisors, and other market
participants. Public ratings for more than 55,000 retirement plans as
well as rating definitions, criteria and methodologies, and
information on more than 450,000 financial advisors are available for
free at www.brightscope.com.&nbsp